UFC 175 is Stacked

UFC 175 will be held on July 5th in Las Vegas. It is quickly turning into the card of the year considering it's top tier match ups. Headlined by Lyoto Machida facing the Long Island gangster Chris Weidman for his middleweight title, it is an event also featuring a second title fight and the finale of a long running rivalry. 

Machida wasn't always in the running for a title shot. Vitor Belfort relinquished his deserved number one contendership, due to the banning of TRT and the conflict as a user that caused him. After dominant victories over two top middleweights, Mark Munoz and Gerard Mousasi, Machida was asked to be his replacement.

Weidman is the man of the hour. He toppled Anderson Silva, one of the greatest MMA athletes of all time, not only once but twice. Silva saw his unprecedented sixteen fight win streak come to an end, after being knocked out last July by Weidman. It was a sports moment that can only be compared to Mike Tyson's first loss to Buster Douglas. The impossible happened before our very eyes, and Chris Weidman was the man behind it.

In their second meeting Weidman checked a leg kick by Silva, that broke the former champion's leg in one of the more grotesque injuries in MMA history. A star in the making, along with the new crop of MMA elites, Jone Jones, Alexander Gustaffson and Cain Velasquez. The UFC should be giving Weidman a bigger push than they are. UFC 175 will be another moment where the champion can shine. I predict a noble effort by Machida, but Weidman will be too much for him. He is the MMA athlete of the future.

Filling out the card is the much anticipated match up between Chael Sonnen and Wanderlei Silva. I can't wait to see how this turns out. A rivalry that has been building ever since Sonnen's trash talk of Anderson Silva. MMA fans have waited two years for this to happen.

I can't help but be disappointed that the UFC had Sonnen fight Rashad Evans while this fight was already a go. Rather than seeing him come off a one sided beating to Evans, his lead up to this match could have been his submission win over Mauricio Shogun Rua. Wanderlei Silva himself had a fight of the year win over Brian Stann. There would be even more anticipation for this show down to finally happen. 

New to the card as of today, Stefan Struve and Matt Mitrione have agreed to fight. The tallest competitor at heavyweight, Struve has been missing since having his chin broken in half by Mark Hunt.

One of the more talented fighters in his division, Struve has a chance of getting back into the win column against Mitrione.

A second title fight will also take place at UFC 175. Ronda Rousey continues her dominance over a one woman division, defending her women's bantamweight championship. This division is so thin that Davis a practical unknown, is coming off a preliminary fight win for this title shot. Expect a Rousey victory by another first round arm bar submission.

It's still a few months away, barring any injuries UFC 175 is gearing up to be a must see event.